Electbic malturagtubibtg compahy



' T. A. BOTH.

INSULATING SWITCH SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.20,!918

1 ,82@,529. Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Y INVENTOR ATTORNEY TEE SAHCE @FFKQ.

TON'J'ES A. BOTH, 0? STRANDED, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GQNNECTICUT ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BBIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A COR- POTION OF CONNEG'JPIGUT.

INSULATING SWITCH-SHELL.

Ill,32,529.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 20, 1918. Serial No. 267,600.

tric switches and like devices which may be' made relatively light and thin, will receive standard socket switches and like devices interchangeably, and the engaging connections of which. shall comprise a thread molded in one shell member and threaded spring engaging members on the other shell member, said shell members being adapted for quick connection and disconnection and remaining securely in place when connected.

-Objections to all porcelain sockets, as

heretoforeconstructed have been that they were heavy and clumsy, that there was a serious loss of shell members owing to warping, and that they were not adapted to receive standard switches and like articles interchangeably. My present invention enables me "to almost entirely avoid loss of shell members from warping and still to make the members relatively light and thin, to obviate the danger of shOrt-ciicuiting, and to efi'ect quick connection of the members as they are first engaged by direct movement toward each other, after which the members are rotated relatively to each other to complete the connecting movement.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the insulatin shell for switches and like devices whic I will now describe referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this invention and using reference characters to indicate.

the several parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the invention as applied to a pull socket;

Fi 2 a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 1n Fig.1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 a perspective view of the cap member partly in section and showing a portion of the parts disassembled;

Fig. i is a perspective view of the body member;

Fig. 5 a view corresponding with Fig. 1 illustrating the application of the invention to a key-socket;

Fig. 6 a similar view illustrating the application of the invention to a push button socket, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view illustrating the application of the invention to a pendant switch.

10 denotes the body member, 11 thecap member, and 12 .the works, in the present instance the works of a pull socket, the term works being used generically as the inven tion lies in the shell or casing which is provided with a recess to receive the works. The body member is provided with an internal shoulder 13 upon which the works rest, with an internal thread 14 which is molded therein and at the base of the thread and outside the shoulder 13 with a circular groove 15, the purpose of which will presently be explained The engaging end of the cap member is reduced slightly in diameter forming a hub 16 which fits Within a coi'respondin circular recess 1'? in the engaging end 0 the body member and retains the members in alinement. 18 denotes spring engaging members which are provided at their inner ends with attaching flan cs 19 and are secured to the cap member y screws 20 which pass through the attaching flanges and engage nuts 21. Screws 20 have an additional function in that they extend below the nuts and form projections which engage recesses 22 in one oi the in sulating blocks, indicated specifically by 23, of the works and act to locate the works in assembling and to prevent rotation of the works and cap member relatively to each other. As the spring engaging members are insulated by the shell members danger of short circuiting is avoided. By providing the body with a shoulder by which the works are supported I insure free action of the operating member which maybe a chain 24, as in Figs. 1 and 7, or a key shaft 25, as in Fig. 5, or a push button or bar 26, as in Fig. 6. In the pull socket form, as in Figs. 1, 3 and 7, the chain guide 27 is molded integral with the cap member.

The lower ends of the spring engaging members areprovided with threads adapted to engage the molded thread 14 on the body member. The engaging members are made long enough so that in the engaging position, as in Fig. 2, they will extend down into groove 15 in the body member and will be locked in threaded engagement with the body member by the inner wall of the groove, that is to say the inner Wall of the groove will act as a backing for the spring engaging members arid prevent disconnection of the shell members until one or the other of the shell members has been rotated sufficiently to withdraw the end of the spring engaging members from the groove, after which the members may be separated by a direct pull owing to the resiliency of the spring members. In connecting the shell membersthey are first engaged by a direct movement of said members toward each other after which they are locked by rotarect movement owing to the resilience of the engaging members.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A shell of the character described comprising members molded from insulating material, one of said members being provided with an internal molded thread and the other member being provided with spring engaging members adapted to engage the molded thread.

2. A shell of the ,character describedv comprising a body member and a cap member, both molded from insulating material, said body member being provided with an in: ternal'molded thread and said cap member with spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread.

3. A- shell of the character described comprising members molded from insulating material, one of said members being provided with an internal molded thread and the other member being provided with spring engaging members adapted to engage the molded thread, and means for preventing disengagement of said members without first rotating one memberrelatively to the other.

4. A shell of the character described comprising shell members molded from insulating material, one of said shell members being provided with an internal molded thread and at the base of said thread with a circular groove, and the other shell member being provided with spring engaging members adapted to engage the molded thread, said shell members bein first engaged through the resilience of t e spring members by direct movement toward each other and then locked by rotary movement causing the ends of the spring members to pass into the groove. I

5. A shell of the character described comprising members molded from insulating material, one of said members having an internal molded thread and a circular recess in its engaging end, and the other member having at its engaging end a hub adapted to engage the recess, and spring engaging members secured to one shell member and provided with threads adapted to engage the molded thread on the other shell member.

6. A shell of the character described comprising a body member molded from insulat ing material and having an internal molded thread, a circular groove at the base of the thread and a recess in its engaging end, and a cap member having a hub adapted to enga-ge the recess, and spring attaching members adapted to engage the molded thread, the ends of the attaching members passing into the groove and preventing disengagement ofthe shell members without first rotating one member relatively to the other.

' 7. In combination a shell eomprisin members molded from insulatin materia one of said members being provi ed with'an internal molded thread and an internal shoulder and the other member with spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread, and works inclosed by the shell members and resting upon the shoulder.

8. In combination a shell comprising members molded from insulating material,

one of said members being provided with an.

internal molded thread and the other member with spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread and With projections, and works inclosed by the shell members and having recesses engaged by the projections.

.9. In combination a shell comprisin members molded from insulating materia one of said members having an internal molded thread and an internal shoulder, and

.the other member having spring engaging members threaded to enga e the molded thread, and projections, an works which rest on the shoulder and are provided with recesses which are engaged by the projections.

10. In combination a shell comprising members molded from insulating material, one of said members having an internal moldedthread and at the base of said thread a circular groove, and the other member having spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread and adapted to pass into the groove, and projections, and

Works inclosed by the shell members and having recesses which are engaged by the projections.

11. A shell of the character described comprising a body member and ,a cap member both molded from insulating material, said body member havin an internal thread and at the base of said t read a groove, and said cap member having molded integral there with a chain guide and having spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread and adapted to pass into the groove.

13. A shell of the character described comprising a body member and a cap member both molded from insulating material, said body member being provided with an internal molded thread, and said cap member with spring engaging members having threads adapted to engage the molded thread and to pass into the groove and look by rotation, and means for preventing disengagement without firstiotating one shell member relatively to the other.

14. In combination a shell comprising members molded from insulating material, one of said members having an internal molded thread and the other member having spring engaging members threaded to engage the molded thread, said members havmg formed therein a recess adapted to receive interchangeable works.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

TONJES A. BOTH. 

